The present invention generally relates to rotary recording medium reproducing apparatuses capable of placing and leaving a rotary information recording medium in a state possible for reproduction within the reproducing apparatus when a jacket having a lid for accommodating the recording medium therein is inserted into and then pulled out from within the reproducing apparatus, and also capable of incasing the recording medium within the jacket so that the recording medium can be obtained outside the reproducing apparatus together with the jacket, when the empty jacket is inserted into and then pulled out from within the reproducing apparatus. The present invention relates more particularly to a rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus provided with a switch mechanism for detecting return of a jacket opening enlarging mechanism which enlarges the opening of the jacket and moves in response to the insertion and extraction of the jacket, into an original position.
Conventionally, in an apparatus for reproducing a rotary recording medium (referring to video disc, PCM audio disc, and the like, and hereinafter simply referred to as a disc), there are types of apparatuses in which a disc is reproduced when the disc is loaded upon clamping and placing of the disc within the reproducing apparatus, by inserting into and then pulling out a disc jacket (disc case) which has a lid and accommodates a disc therein, from within the reproducing apparatus.
As a conventional apparatus of this type, a reproducing apparatus was proposed in a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 231,868 filed Feb. 5, 1981, entitled "DISC-SHAPED RECORDING MEDIUM REPRODUCING APPARATUS" in which the assignee is the same as that of the present application. This previously proposed reproducing apparatus operates together with a disc case comprising a jacket which has a space for accommodating a disc and an opening for allowing the disc to go in and out of the jacket, and a lid member inserted through the opening of the jacket for closing the opening of the jacket, where the reproducing apparatus comprises an inserting opening through which the case is inserted, a turntable for rotating the disc, holding means for holding at least one of the disc and the lid member provided at an innermost part on the opposite side from the inserting opening with respect to the turntable, jacket opening enlarging device provided in the vicinity of the inserting opening, moving over the turntable between the position in the vicinity of said inserting opening and the innermost part of said reproducing apparatus in response to the insertion and extraction of the jacket, for enlarging the opening of the jacket by entering inside said cutouts of said lid member, upon insertion of the jacket into the reproducing apparatus through the inserting opening, lowering and raising means for lowering the disc to a position where the disc is placed on the turntable from a holding position where the disc is held by the holding means upon starting of the reproduction and raising the disc to the holding position from the turntable upon finishing or discontinuing of the reproduction, a reproducing transducer for reproducing the disc placed on the turntable, and moving means for moving the reproducing transducer from a waiting position to a reproducing position with respect to the disc.
In the above type of a reproducing apparatus, the jacket opening enlarging mechanism must be positioned at a predetermined position at the inserting opening, in order to enlarge the opening of the jacket in a normal manner upon insertion of the jacket into the reproducing apparatus. Accordingly, the reproducing apparatus is provided with a detection switch mechanism for detecting the return of the jacket opening enlarging mechanism to the above predetermined position at the inserting opening. Hence, confirmation can be made on whether the above jacket opening enlarging mechanism has returned to the predetermined position in a normal manner, due to the operation of the detection switch mechanism.
The conventional detection switch mechanism is constructed so that a part of the jacket opening enlarging mechanism pushes an operation member of a switch upon final return of the jacket opening enlarging mechanism, and the switch is switched over according to this pushing action of the jacket opening enlarging mechanism. Hence, the operation of the detection switch mechanism interferes the final returning operation of the jacket opening enlarging mechanism.
On the other hand, the jacket opening enlarging mechanism moves in a state engaged with the jacket up to a position in the vicinity of the returning position, as will be described hereinafter. When the jacket opening enlarging mechanism reaches the position in the vicinity of the returning position, the engagement with respect to the jacket is released. Therefore, the final returning operation of the jacekt opening enlarging mechanism to the returning position from the above position in the vicinity of the returning position, is performed due to the action of tapered surfaces of sliders.
Accordingly, in the conventional reproducing apparatus provided with the detection switch mechanism, the final returning operation of the jacket opening enlarging mechanism is restricted at an intermediate point of the operation by the detection switch mechanism. Hence, there are cases where the jacket opening enlarging mechanism does not completely return to the returning position. When the jacket opening enlarging mechanism does not completely return to the returning position, the jacket opening enlarging mechanism is in a state where enlarging fingers for locking and pushing jacket halves so as to enlarge the opening of the jacket are mutually separated above and below each other. Thus, in some cases, the enlarging fingers do not enter within the opening of the jacket provided at the front surface of the inserted jacket, and the enlarging fingers separate from the opening of the jacket. In this case, the enlarging fingers operate in a state where the jacket halves are not locked by the enlarging fingers, and the opening of the jacket is accordingly not enlarged. That is, in the conventional reproducing apparatus, there was a disadvantage in that an accident could occur in which the opening of the jacket is not enlarged upon insertion of the jacket.